Shelly LeGere of Elmhurst testified April 5 in support of Sen. Nybo's bill allowing trained police officers to administer epinephrine auto-injectors in emergencies. Shelly's daughter, Annie, died in August after a severe allergic reaction.

Shelly LeGere of Elmhurst testified April 5 in support of Sen. Nybo's bill allowing trained police officers to administer epinephrine auto-injectors in emergencies. Shelly's daughter, Annie, died in August after a severe allergic reaction. (Posted by lsims00000, Community Contributor)

Community Contributor lsims00000

SPRINGFIELD - Hoping to spare other families the anguish that the LeGeres of Elmhurst suffered after the unexpected loss of their daughter last year, State Sen. Chris Nybo is working to expand access to epinephrine auto-injectors for people suffering from life-threatening allergic reactions.

Following the tragic death of 13-year-old Annie LeGere in August, Nybo filed legislation (Senate Bill 2878) to allow specially trained police officers and other public safety personnel to administer epinephrine via an auto-injector (EpiPen) in an emergency.

Annie died from brain injuries resulting from anaphylactic shock after she suffered a severe allergic reaction at a sleepover at a friend's house. Police were first on the scene within minutes, but were unable to render the needed aid because officers are not currently authorized to carry and administer epinephrine auto-injectors.

"I have been working closely with Annie's mother, Shelly LeGere, who has created The Annie LeGere Foundation to increase awareness of life-threatening allergic reactions and equip first-responder emergency vehicles, schools and as many other public settings as possible with epinephrine auto-injectors," said Nybo (R-Elmhurst).

Shelly LeGere traveled to Springfield April 5 to testify before the Senate Public Health Committee on behalf of Senate Bill 2878.

"On Aug. 17, I got a phone call from my daughter at about midnight. She said she didn't feel well. I quickly went to the house where she was sleeping and by the time I got there, which was within about six minutes, her friends said she was unconscious on the floor. They said she was having difficulty breathing and she was getting hives," Shelly LeGere told committee members. "The police officer had arrived before I did, and it seemed like about five to eight minutes before the ambulance then arrived. My daughter wasn't given epinephrine until after she was in respiratory distress. She was brought to a hospital and was on a ventilator for nine days. The lack of oxygen caused immense brain swelling, and my little girl was never going to be the little girl that I once knew. Had epinephrine been available at the time that she was unable to breathe, the circumstances may be different. It could have made all the difference in the world."

Senate Bill 2878 would allow state police and other law enforcement agencies to conduct training programs for officers on how to recognize and respond to anaphylaxis, including administration of an epinephrine auto-injector. The State Police or a local governmental agency could authorize officers to carry and administer epinephrine auto-injectors once they have completed the required training.

The bill would also allow a student to self-administer an epinephrine auto-injector while being transported on a school bus, and allows a school nurse, or trained personnel to administer an epinephrine auto-injector on anyone they believe is having an anaphylactic reaction while on a school bus. School districts, public schools, or nonpublic schools would be allowed to maintain a supply of epinephrine auto-injectors in a secure location that can be accessible before, during, and after school hours.

"Food allergies among children have increased 50 percent between 1997 and 2011," Nybo said. "When such allergies result in life-threatening reactions and anaphylaxis, swift action is needed. It makes sense to allow the police or school personnel, if they choose, to be trained and authorized to administer epinephrine auto-injectors in emergency situations."

In 2011, when Nybo was a State Representative, he sponsored a law to increase access to epinephrine by allowing schools to keep epinephrine auto-injectors in stock following a tragic death of a young girl at a school in Chicago.

Approved by a 9-0 vote of the Senate Public Health Committee on April 5, Senate Bill 2878 now moves to the full Senate for further consideration.

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